


It's not the Raptor DNA

by LucarioMaster41



Category: Jurassic Park - All Media Types, Jurassic World Trilogy (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Blood, Blood and Gore, Cute, Enemies to Friends, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Indominous Rex Lives, Multi, Needs More Dinosaurs!, Other, Raptor Squad (Jurassic Park) Lives, Sad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:42:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25905286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LucarioMaster41/pseuds/LucarioMaster41
Summary: "Her hateful gaze was all too familiar, almost a mirror when he saw past the crimson color, and slit pupils." Because we all know the scientists of Jurassic World had proven themselves incapable of exercising discipline when it came to temptations. Why would it be any different with creating the Indominus? Constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated!Story By: SkullsandDuggery
Relationships: Blue & Charlie the Velociraptor & Delta & Echo (Jurassic Park), Blue & Owen Grady, Claire Dearing & Indominus Rex, Claire Dearing/Owen Grady, Owen Grady & Indominus Rex, Raptor Squad (Jurassic Park) & Original Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 56





	1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer; I do not own the Jurassic Park/World Franchise or its characters, but I do own this story and my OC's**

**Enjoy!**

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"It's not the Raptor DNA"

Owen resisted the urge to let out a shaky breath as he watched his girls fearlessly glare at the line of trees in the all too silent jungle. He knew they had the Indominus' scent; Blue never made mistakes like that. When she had zeroed in on a target, be it a fleeing pig or his bag of Oreos left too near the cage, by God almighty she would get her claws on it.

He just knew this kind of silence was a very bad sign. He didn't like it, he didn't like seeing his girls in the front line. Charlie was still his baby for the love of everything, and she was stepping around nervously, looking to Blue for some reassurance; it killed Owen to see her in danger.

The men around him remained still as stone, and the only sign of life were the moving crimson, laser lines, searching fruitlessly for the white scales.

Owen could feel Barry's nervousness; these animals were his babies as well. Hell, Owen had even seen tough Blue give quiet purrs when gentle, soft-spoken Barry would coo at her.

Blue was fully aware Barry would never resist sneaking her an extra treat when she acted adorable for him. Shameless, little creature she was, but Owen never reprimanded her for it.

Now the blue-scaled raptor was standing tall and confident as she patiently waited for the prey to come to them. Owen bet his best gun she would fearlessly glare Death himself in the eye when he would come for her.

Owen tensed, and gripped his shotgun more firmly when branches snapped under large, heavy feet. His raptors froze before unanimously taking one step back as the white scales were brushed by midnight leaves. The Indominus was still half hidden in the cloak of the forest; he wouldn't give the signal to fire yet, she had to come out more.

It was a pity she wasn't that stupid.

Owen frowned when brave Blue took a confident step forward, and he was shocked when the Indominus met her peacefully. Why wasn't she attacking the raptors? The Indominus attacked anything and everything. She tore people in half, animals were poorly carved with razor talons, and even cars were smashed for the fun of it.

Why were his raptors witnessing a different side of her?

Owen watched the massive, bloodied jaw almost shiver as small, familiar, clicking sounds were made. He froze when Blue threw her head back in an enthused greeting, and the other raptors slowly inched forward to meet the muscular, white scales.

Owen forgot how to breathe, and he half heard Barry whisper, "Something's not right…they're communicating."

The shape of the bloodied muzzle caught Owen's eye, and he felt the heavy ball of fear form in his stomach as he took a proper look at the chittering Indominus rex. Her head wasn't bulky like a Tyrannosaurus, it was more cylindrical, and her neck had a graceful curve to it. The way she carried her claws was a mirror to the four carnivores below her.

He mentally smacked himself for not seeing the painfully obvious before. She had raptor DNA! It made sense now. Her ability to problem solve, her memory, that incredible speed and stamina. It was all raptor. He knew all too well that Velociraptors were capable of setting traps when they detected patterns; he had lost half his turkey sandwiches and Cheetos to his girls. Sly Echo would grab his attention, lure him away, and the others would snag their claws into his lunch bag while he tried to figure out Echo's sudden, odd behavior.

Barry always thought it was hilarious, and Owen had suspected him of assisting his ornery girls more than once.

Everything on that Indominus was a perfect blend of Tyrannosaurus and Velociraptor. The size and aggressiveness belong to the rex. The shape, and intelligence were given from the raptor. Every trait could be assigned to one or the other.

Except for…

Owen frowned at the characteristic that didn't belong to either species. He slowly slid his gaze up to the Indominus, and carefully watched how she socialized. The movements of her head, and arms were not raptor. That cunning, malicious gleam in the smoldering red eyes only belonged to one species who had, several times over, proven itself capable of ruthless evil.

Owen knew the labs used other creatures' DNA to fill in the gaps to create the dinosaurs. He knew even his own raptors would not appear as they did if they had the pure DNA. He knew the scientists liked to use different DNA to see what would help the animals, or make them flashier. Charlie herself bore the patterns of the iguana DNA used in her coding, and even old Rexy was blessed with a longer lifespan.

But there was no way the labs were idiotic enough to even think of using that kind of DNA. There had to be rules and regulations to restrict the usage of certain animals.

Yet there was absolutely no denying what he was seeing right in front of him.

The Indominus was smarter than the average raptor. He knew the white scaled creature would be smart enough to set a trap to lure people into her small paddock. She had to know at least something would happen if she made those claw marks in the cement walls before hiding. She was smart enough to remember where the tracker had been planted; Owen would never doubt that. He would even see Delta give an irritated scratch at her own tracker along the muscled neck.

But how did the Indominus know it would be in her best interest to claw the tracker out? She shouldn't have been able to know the purpose of that device; she had never escaped before.

Or had the tracker been implanted in her after she had become too aggressive? Had she noticed how the keepers would seem to be aware of where she was after she had received the implant?

Raptors weren't smart enough to put that much together, but Owen knew a species who would.

Owen felt the shiver of fear crawl up his spine when the demonic, crimson eyes shifted to him, and bore into his soul. He could read every emotion going through her sick, twisted mind, and he softly said, "I know why they wouldn't tell us what they used to make that thing…"

Barry swallowed nervously when the raptors slowly turned their gazes towards the silent crowd of sitting ducks. He gripped his pistol more tightly as he hoarsely asked, "Why?"

Owen really didn't want to assume anything, but he never went against his gut instinct. That hateful, burning gaze wasn't Velociraptor. She didn't go out of her way to destroy man-made structures because of the temperamental Tyrannosaurus in her.

Animals didn't go out of their way to seek revenge when the world was cruel to them. Animals didn't pick a particular species to focus all forms of anger onto. Animals never felt the need to make a point with nature by going on a killing spree. Animals certainly never approached a clearly different species they had never seen before to hold conversations with them.

Owen didn't want to believe the scientists had been stupid enough to do it, but there was no denying the characteristics. Her hateful gaze was all too familiar, almost a mirror when he saw past the crimson color, and slit pupils.

Because those two, opposing, clawed thumbs on her massive hands certainly weren't Velociraptor.


	2. Chapter 2

"I Understand"

"So that's how it's going to be then?"

Owen tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice as his three girls surrounded him while he stood protectively in front of Claire and her nephews. He knew the raptors would focus on killing him first since it seemed that was what the Indominus had ordered.

Blue curled her lip before giving a low hiss, and Owen refused to break eye contact with her. He could see that internal struggle in her. He knew it had irritated her beyond everything to do those repetitive exercises day in and day out. He knew that, as a Beta, it was her job to question every decision he made when it came to the pack. He also knew she was upset with how things had turned out after the Indominus had taken over.

She was not happy with baby Charlie being blown to bits by that missile, and neither was Owen. If he had the time, he would have probably cried over her body, or at least what was left of it.

What Owen really wanted to do was point out to Blue that if she hadn't ordered the pack to follow the Indominus' orders, Charlie would have been fine. His cheeto snatching baby would still be alive. But now wasn't the time to be blaming others for what could never be undone; he had to keep this pack together. He could already see the warning signs of stress wearing on his girls. Delta looked dangerously irritated, despite already mauling Vic, and Echo seemed cranky with missing her dinner. They were all hurt and confused as to why their baby sister wasn't with them; they feared the worst when Charlie wouldn't respond to Blue's barking commands to come home.

He could still prove himself to his girls.

Owen kept his eye contact as he slowly lowered his silver gun to the ground. He knew Blue was fully aware of what he was doing, but she continued to watch him carefully. She knew she had defied him by acknowledging another as the Alpha.

The gun gently clattered on the floor, and Owen heard Claire give a small gasp. He slowly extended his hand towards Blue; not flinching when she gave a bluffing nip.

"Easy, Blue…shhh, it's okay."

Despite the firm, loud orders he barked at them during their training, Owen had never used a firm hand when touching them. Barry had always used gentle, light touches to calm them, and Owen did the same.

He knew how begrudging raptors could be; they would never tolerate mishandling. Hell, Vic had only looked at Delta wrong, and she had gone out of her way to give the lab's walls a fresh coat of paint with his internals.

Blue remained still as the calloused hand lightly ran across her cheek. Owen always loved how warm, and smooth the scales felt. His fingers bumped over scarred indents in the skin before he softly grabbed the release mechanism of the camera on her head. He gave it a small twist, and gently pulled it off before tossing it to the ground. Blue's golden eyes briefly flickered to the camera as she was finally freed, and Owen smiled as he murmured, "That's my best girl."

He respectfully took a step back to give the raptor her space. Blue had always had a larger bubble than her siblings. Even when she had burst from her egg in a screeching, sopping mess, Blue did not appreciate Owen's 'imprinting cuddles'. She had given him fierce bites for his touchiness, and had retained that trait all her life.

Unless she really wanted Owen's Oreos, then she would allow Barry to kiss her nose.

The golden eyes flickered back up to him, and Owen decided he wouldn't be angry with Blue about her decisions. He knew they had that trust there, and he knew it wouldn't fail him. If nothing else, he hoped Blue would take the pack elsewhere while he tried to get Claire and the boys to safety.

He swore he saw a glimmer of warmth mellowing Blue's eyes, and he felt her respect for him increase. There had always been a physical barrier between them. He had always either been out of her reach, bars between them, or her solid muzzle on. Never had he approached her, defenseless, while she was free.

Owen proved that he completely trusted her as an intelligent pack member, and she seemed grateful for it.

The tension had dissipated incredibly, and he felt like he could breathe again. Even Echo and Delta seemed to relax slightly. Owen was about to shoo his girls off to go find safety, when the telltale thuds of the massive monster shook the ground.

He felt that heavy ball of fear in his stomach as those white scales skulked past the confining buildings, and those smoldering, crimson eyes did a double take at the small group.

Owen swore he saw surprise flash across those eyes, and he grew uncomfortable again. Those thumbs practically screamed how irresponsible her creators had been. He didn't like how human she acted; it frightened him.

Granted, it scared him a little more when the Indominus grew irritated as she prowled over while chittering with Blue. Owen's gaze would flicker between his best girl and the white monster towering over her as the duo seemed to be arguing. Just the way she would use her massive, bloodied snout to gesture to him screamed human. He knew no other creature who would use that kind of body language.

Blue puffed a small amount of air through her nose, and Owen knew she had made her final decision. She was the most stubborn, and bull-headed creature on the face of this planet. When she puffed the air through her nose, Owen had learned to simply give up, and walk away for sake of his blood pressure. No amount of yelling, hollow threats, or begging, would sway the blue raptor from her final decision.

His best girl turned her head to him, and gave a quiet, almost gentle chitter as if to say, 'You with me on this one?'

Owen could have fallen over dead; he was sure it would have taken all the saints in heaven to come down before Blue would even think about consulting with him. He could feel a small, crooked grin pulling at his lips when he gave a single nod; come hell or high water, he was right next to his best girl.

Blue seemed to snort slightly before she turned back to the Indominus, and gave a defiant snarl with all her ivory daggers showing. The other two seemed to bring their small circle closer together as they stood unwaveringly behind their Alpha and Beta.

The Indominus seemed confused by this, Owen could see it clouding the anger that had burned in her eyes since he first saw her. She wasn't sure what to make of something so little compared to her, defying her. The crimson eyes flickered over to him, and Owen stood taller; he had approved his Beta's decision.

The white rex seemed to ponder the blue raptor for a second more before suddenly curling her lip in a confused rage. She let out a livid roar that hurt Owen's ears before pulling her massive hand back. Owen felt his heart stop, and, before he knew what he was doing, he had slid in front of Blue. He held his palm up before barking, "STOP!"

Owen also wasn't aware he had shut his eyes until he heard a slow, rumbling exhale in front of him. He cracked open to see the thumbed hand raised, and claws splayed to swipe at them. Blue shifted nervously, and Owen refused to let out the breath he was holding.

The Indominus was capable of obeying orders.

Or she was so _confused_ with him barking at her that she had startled into pausing. Owen was leaning more towards the latter, but he had her attention. He could do something with this; she had raptor in her, she could be trained. All she needed was positive reinforcement, it was something she had lacked her entire life. He could see the crimson eyes emptying of anger as they filled with innocent curiosity, and her long tail gave a slight flick, like a cat who had just discovered a mouse who fought back.

He stood a little taller, though he kept his splayed hand up, and maintained eye contact with her. How much eye contact had she been given in her life? Had anyone tried to train her? Owen could see the intimidating, literal daggers poking from her gums, and he was sure the answer was no.

She was so intelligent, and she had lived alone her entire life. That paddock wasn't large enough for her to run around, and it was so far away from any other dinosaurs that there was no way she knew they existed until she saw them. She was made of raptor and human DNA; both were highly social creatures.

How could the Indominus not turn bitter, and cruel considering how she grew up?

No one taught her it was wrong to kill for sport, she had never been taught boundaries, and no one had bothered to communicate with her.

So, how did she know the meaning of stop?

Owen didn't risk glancing behind him, but he could hear Claire breathing. She was close enough to hear him whisper, "Is there any way she could hear you talking through that glass in her paddock?"

The Indominus shifted slightly, and Owen quickly glanced down to see her bleeding foot. She was heavily injured with bruises, cuts, slashes, and even burns. She had to be in a lot of pain, and he could see some sedative darts deep in her thick, white scales.

How the hell was she even functioning?

The crimson eyes flickered over to the redhead, and Owen swore he saw that anger creeping back in. She didn't like Claire.

"I-I don't know…"

Owen bet his last, cold beer the Indominus could hear through that glass. She knew Claire, and Owen knew the two had only seen each other through the thick glass. Owen just wasn't sure how much human DNA was in her, but there seemed to be more than enough for his forming theory.

It made him so much more uncomfortable than the two thumbs, and emotions.

Owen used his other hand to reach behind him, never breaking eye contact, as he whispered, "Hey, Gray, you got anything good in that little bag of yours?"

He could hear the young boy rummaging through his bag as the Indominus continued to shift on her feet. That burning curiosity was their saving grace. It seemed she had the curious gene from both her human, and raptor coding.

She literally could not resist her need to know.

Gray was such a quiet kid, and Owen strained to hear the kid mumble, "I…I got some double stuffed Oreos."

A small bag was pushed into his hand before the sentence was finished, and Owen immediately yanked his hand from Blue's snapping jaws. If there was anything Blue would never resist, it was the gift from God above himself in the form of blessed, double stuffed Oreos. Owen was pretty sure that was the first phrase she had gone out of her way to memorize. 'Double-stuffed Oreos.' It was when he learned how shameless a beggar she was, and how mushy Barry could be for her. Blue knew the difference between double-stuffed and regular; God help any soul stupid enough to try and pass the regular as double-stuffed to her.

They had ended up needing a new caretaker after that incident; the 'Oreo Incident' as Barry had taken to calling it.

Owen could feel a smile pulling at his lips as the blue raptor completely tuned out the rest of the world, and she began to cutely beg for even a whiff of those irresistible cookies. This was good, this was very good. Blue's sudden change in behavior was only interesting the Indominus even more. He could see the crimson eyes searching for the cause, and Owen changed his splayed palm to holding his index finger up as he firmly said, "Wait."

The crimson eyes flickered to him, and she took a small step back to acknowledge she had heard him. Blue was wriggling her haunches as she stepped about eagerly. The bottom of her jaw almost shivered as the small, adorable clicks were made, and Owen couldn't help dryly saying, "You know I am not Barry, Blue."

A shrill whine told Owen that she was more than fully aware of that very inconvenient detail. She wanted the Oreos now, and Owen knew better than to tease her. He pulled out one that hadn't been crushed to powder before firmly saying, "Eyes up, Blue."

If the Indominus wasn't watching, Owen would have given Blue the entire bag of Oreos for proving herself loyal to him. After all they had been through, his girls deserved a couple days of nothing but being babied.

But the Indominus had to see how things worked with him, he had to establish some kind of communication system with her.

Blue immediately stood taller as she half pulled her eager, golden eyes from the delectable treat. Owen resisted the urge to snort as he said, "That is very good, Blue. Here."

The Oreo was tossed, and Blue immediately caught it between her teeth. She was such a slow eater with her cookies that it sometimes irritated Owen. She had to lick it to mush, slowly and evenly, before even more slowly savoring the creamy filling in the center.

Owen had given up on trying to understand that; it wasn't like Blue was starved for Oreos.

Owen turned back to the patiently waiting, snow scaled dinosaur. She was carefully watching the raptor with crimson eyes narrowed in thought. The Indominus was all but ignoring them now. He glanced down to her fore limbs, and saw they were pressed close to her chest in an almost protective way. Her index claw seemed to be carefully tapping against her dirtied chest, and Owen felt his eyes widen.

The Indominus had a nervous tic. She had a nervous tic.

She wasn't quite understanding the purpose of this process, and it frustrated her. She was a frustrated creature who had no way of finding relief except through violence.

Owen wasn't sure an Oreo would comfort her; she seemed far too intelligent for a simple 'eyes up' order. She would want to know _why_ , not the immediate reward of obeying.

Owen risked glancing behind him, and wasn't surprised to see Claire and her nephews looking terrified. They had no idea what this creature was going to do; one wrong move, and she would snap.

Owen turned back to the Indominus as he carefully watched those crimson eyes, and the tapping finger. She was pondering, and reasoning Blue's obsession with the cookies; too bad she'd never understand it.

He had to try something else, he had to give her a way to communicate back to him in a way that would be satisfying to her. He glanced back at the curled hand before staring at the frustrated crimson orbs. He finally squared his shoulders; he was just standing around like an idiot, and he needed to make a move before she did.

"Hey, eyes on me."

Owen spoke a little more gently than he would while training his raptors. It was still an order, but it didn't have a sharp bite to it. The Indominus paused from her nervous tic to glare at him for interrupting her thoughts. He briefly paused as he chewed the inside of his cheek before slowly saying, "I think…you _understand_ a lot of what we are saying, don't you?"

She made no indication of whether or not she did, but Owen could feel Claire glaring into his back for talking to the white scaled monster like a tree hugging idiot. He took a small step forward as he added, "I think you have enough of my species in you to know what we are saying, and I think I can help you talk with us."

Owen really didn't want to believe her tail swishing to the side was because of her growing interest. He really hoped she _was_ just thinking of all the different ways she would use his body to pick her teeth.

"It's called Sign Language, we have mute and deaf people learn it so they can talk with us."

Owen looked her up and down once before raising his hand. He firmly said, "I want to know if you understand me."

He held his loosely closed fist near his face, palm facing him, before flicking his index finger up; like when an idea hit you. She watched him intently, and Owen was sure she had the digits to do the same if she understood him.

_If._

"That little motion of my hand means, 'I understand', in sign language."

Owen really didn't want her to be that human. He knew primates were capable of learning sign; Koko the gorilla communicated with her keepers. Was the Indominus that intelligent?

"Do you understand what I'm telling you? Can you understand what I am saying?"

The Indominus stared at him for a few, very long seconds, and Owen was starting to feel nervous. Was she waiting for him to do something else? He really couldn't read anything on her at the moment; she was simply observing for the moment. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Claire hiss, "You have lost your mind! Get us out of here right now!"

Owen didn't blame her, but he wasn't sure how to do that without setting the Indominus off. He didn't want to give the Indominus a reason to go into hunt mode. She truly seemed to be a curious creature, and he risked turning his head to whisper back, "Wait a minute, okay? If she starts attacking then I'll make sure to give you an openi-"

" _Look."_

Gray had suddenly pointed, and Owen turned back around just in time to see the Indominus raise her left hand. She turned her hand towards herself effortlessly though she didn't raise it as high as Owen had. He could feel his own heart stop when the gently closed hand gave a brief pause before her index finger flicked up.

Like an idea had hit her.

' _I understand.'_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**

**I can honestly say I did not expect the reaction to this story that you guys have given, and it absolutely makes my day. Thank you so much for the comments, and reviews because I am getting wonderful ideas to add to this to show you all what a tragic villain the Indominus truly is. I will try to balance the funnies with the seriousness in the course of this story, but be prepared for random bits of heart wrenching because that is simply how I am. :) I will probably change the rating from 'K' to 'T' just because it seems to be the polite thing to do on here as I simply struggle with refraining myself from using the colorful vocabulary of curse words. I personally never cared what a story's rating is, but I am sure some of you do, and that is perfectly fine. So without further ado, please enjoy chapter three with your snacks of Oreos and Cheetos!**

* * *

"Yes."

Owen was astonished as he gaped at the left hand of the Indominus. She held the pose for a few seconds before slowly curling her hand back to her chest protectively as she waited for his reaction. It wasn't until Gray had poked his back that Owen finally gave himself a mental shake, and replied, "Oh…okay then…"

He was going to get himself killed with stupid responses like that. He had to always remember that this creature had very little to no social skills. She probably didn't know what to do with a baffled human, and when she became confused, she became violent. He didn't want to unintentionally offend her either.

Owen finally cleared his throat, and began to stall with another question as his mind struggled to comprehend that he was about to try and hold a conversation with a dinosaur. This wasn't understanding the various growls of his Velociraptors, the Indominus would be learning his language.

This was terrifying, and he was going to kick every single ass in that laboratory. He would personally see to it that every scientist in there would be whipped into shape for creating something that had absolutely no business being an attraction at a theme park.

His raptors sensed his apprehension, and they only pressed closer to him. Blue had finally finished her Oreo, and decided to surprise Owen by remaining right beside him; he could feel the heat radiating off her body.

The Indominus seemed to tilt her head slightly when Owen brought his hands together as he asked, "So, do you understand _a lot?"_

He put his hands together, like he was holding an invisible ball, before pulling them apart, and she carefully watched.

"Or _a little bit?"_

He took his index finger and thumb before rubbing them against one another twice. He wasn't sure if her thumb was long enough for that. He really didn't want to frustrate her by giving useless tools to her. He waited patiently, and quietly sucked in air when the left hand became a fist. The index finger flicked up before her right hand joined in the conversation to cup the invisible ball, and they pulled it apart.

' _I understand a lot.'_

She understood a lot indeed; she had just communicated to him a complete sentence. She wasn't even lazy with her answers. He had no idea what to do from here. He was even more terrified of this dinosaur than before, and he really wanted someone to yell at. He wanted Claire to point him to the head geneticist right away.

But he just couldn't leave the Indominus to do as she pleased. Just because she was smart enough to communicate, and learn language, didn't mean she was willing to exercise discipline with bloody rampage.

All she had demonstrated was a small hint to the extent of her intelligence. She had done nothing to show her morals, nor willingness to learn human moral.

Owen finally nodded as he began to chew the inside of his cheek. His eyes wandered over the several wounds on her as he tried to ponder his next move. At the very least, he needed to get her away from the some twenty-thousand guests.

But he also had to get his raptors back into their paddock, and he certainly couldn't do that while expecting the Indominus to follow.

He let out a small sigh before holding his hand up, with index finger pointing up, as he asked her to wait, and he turned to a stunned Claire. She refused to take her eyes off the white scaled creature, and Owen didn't blame her for that. He quickly snapped his fingers before saying, "Claire. Hey. Earth to Claire."

The blue eyes snapped back to him, and he was relieved to see the irritation in them as she retorted, "I am _not_ one of your damn animals."

He slowly nodded, and gave a quick glance over his shoulder to see the Indominus carefully watching them. He turned back as he quietly said, "I want you to get the boys to safety while I take care of…"

Owen trailed off, and he frowned before asking, "What's her name?"

Claire looked at him like he was crazy, and she hissed, "It does not have a name!"

Owen held his breath as he silently prayed the Indominus was hard of hearing. When he was not met with angry roars at being insulted, he let out his breath. Claire had put her hands on her hips, and he couldn't help quietly snapping, "I think you need to mind your manners around _her,_ Claire, because she can clearly understand every word we are saying."

Owen wasn't chastising Claire because he felt the need to treat the Indominus as his equal all of a sudden; he just really didn't want to insult all those razor sharp teeth and talons.

Claire's blue eyes nervously flickered over to the white scales, and she flinched when a low, warning growl was given. Owen made a mental note of that; the Indominus would not even tolerate Claire looking at her.

Not good.

Owen bravely stepped in between the two, in hopes of calming the Indominus. Maybe if she didn't see Claire, she would be less irritated with her existence. Owen gently put his hands together as he calmly said, "Okay, new plan because obviously the lab has _really_ screwed us over. _You_ are going to the people, and…keep them calm, while I…see what I can do with the Indominus. Sound good?"

"You have lost your mind, Owen."

He slowly nodded in agreement at that, and Claire rolled her eyes at him. He glanced at his three raptors before quietly saying, "I don't want to see this island shut down, Claire."

The redhead allowed her mouth to drop in shock, and she was silent for a few seconds before snapping, "We just had an island evacuation, Owen! People died! What makes you think we even have a small chance of ever reopening?!"

Owen glanced behind him when he heard the Indominus shift in slight agitation. Her attention span was dwindling, and he need to act quickly. The two adults looked down when Gray quietly offered, "I read that studies proved that the dangerous rides become a lot more popular after fatal accidents…"

Owen pointed at him before saying, "See? People love danger, and all you have to do is sell it that _we_ have the animals under control. Okay? Okay."

Owen took a step back, and pointed at Claire as he said, "You take care of people, and be that amazing saleswoman I know you are-"

Owen then gestured to his raptors when he finished, "And I get everybody to bed before the militia comes in."

Claire put her hands on her hips again before coolly saying, "I thought you said it wasn't about control."

"It's not, but you can sell that little lie to the insurance claimers. I want the lab to be held accountable, and Vic's men. Point the finger, Claire."

Owen gave her a thumbs up with a wide grin, and the redhead rolled her eyes; he could see the smile tugging at her lips, though. She knew he was hilarious. Owen nodded, and said, "Great, I'll see you when I see you. Don't get eaten."

He turned to face the Indominus, and Claire quietly retorted, "You're the one who is going to put the raptors and Indominus to bed, Owen."

He couldn't help his crooked grin as he glanced over his shoulder before saying, "Better than all the bloodsucking lawyers that are going to swarm this place. I'll take her teeth over them any day."

Claire grimaced as she seemed to think otherwise, but she put a protective hand on her nephews as she began to lead them away. Her heels clicked against the cement, and Owen turned when the Indominus gave a low growl. He frowned as he firmly, but quietly, said, "Hey. Eyes on me."

Owen swore he saw irritation flash across those crimson eyes, but she complied. Owen bravely walked a little closer, but remained far enough to get away in case she decided to snap, and he said, "I'm not sure what your next move is, but I really don't want to see you get killed, okay? I am on your side because I feel like you're just a little too smart to be a mindless killer. Do you understand that? I am _expecting_ you to behave better than that. You're not going to go hurt those people."

She narrowed her crimson eyes at the firm tone, and Owen was pretty sure she was wondering where he was storing the massive balls on himself for actually having the idiotic bravery to tell her what to do. Owen refused to back down, though; she needed a firm leader now more than ever. She was so brand new in this world, and had no idea what her place was.

They stared at each other for a few more seconds, both refusing to even blink, and Owen finally said, "Those people have no idea you even exist, okay? They have never done anything to you, and it is _wrong_ to go attack them. I know you're smart enough to know the difference between right and wrong. Do you understand that?"

She narrowed her eyes even more, and the pupils seemed to slit more thinly before she slowly rose taller. Owen couldn't believe how huge she was, and he wondered why labs always made their first of anything to be so large, and hard to control. Why couldn't they have made the hybrid out of the little dinosaurs in the petting zoo first? They could have added cat fur or something to make it fuzzy and soft.

But _no,_ they just had to go right for the wonderful mixture of Tyrannosaurus, Velociraptor, and human.

The Indominus' left hand twisted towards herself before that finger flicked up.

' _I understand.'_

Owen nodded in agreement before he said, "Yah, I had a feeling you would."

He glanced at his three girls, and noticed they were getting tired of standing around. He looked back to the Indominus as he finally offered, "I want you to follow me out of here, alright? I don't want you around a lot of people, and I want to get those wounds on you looked at. I know you have got to be in a lot of pain."

The Indominus slowly lowered herself onto her forelimbs as she finally gave herself a look over. Owen had to admit, he really didn't like seeing those white scales dirty and bleeding. The crimson eyes flickered in the direction of where all the guests were currently hiding, and Owen said, "There is no way you aren't tired, and hungry…eyes on me."

The white snout crinkled in irritation before puffing air through them loudly, and Owen knew that sound. She seemed to simply do a lot of vocalizing with her raptor genes. He was sure she was still listening to him, but he wanted that eye contact; he wanted her attention. She finally humored him, and he nodded in approval as he said, "You give me eye contact when I speak, it's polite, and I promise I'll give you eye contact when you speak to me because I _respect_ you enough to do that. I know the gist of most of the raptor sounds, and I want to teach you more sign language. We can make this work if you're willing to cooperate, okay?"

She flicked her tail at him, and Owen took another step forward as he raised his hand. She immediately focused on the hand, curious to learn more words, and expand her vocabulary. Owen closed his hand, like he was going to knock on a door, before making the knocking motions as he said, "That means 'yes', and this-"

He took his index and middle finger before making a closing motion as the two digits met his thumb; almost like a little mouth closing.

"Means 'no'. Do you understand that?"

The Indominus gazed at him for a few seconds before she took her left hand, and knocked on the invisible door. She surprised Owen by then closing her hand before flicking her index up.

' _Yes, I understand.'_

He couldn't help the small smile on his face before he gently shook his head. Now that the fear was dissipating, it was being filled with a sense of wonder and curiosity. Here was this powerful creature, capable of so much destruction, murder, chaos, and terror.

And he was teaching her sign language.

The white head tilted questioningly, and Owen finally said, "Why don't you stick with me for a while? You know I've raised these raptors since they hatched; they're my girls, my babies. You've got Velociraptor in you, you can join our dysfunctional, little family; you'll fit right in."

He could see she was really tempted by that offer; the longing had filled the crimson eyes at the word family. She wanted somewhere to belong.

She knew the difference between alone and lonely, and she seemed to be tired of being both.

Owen gestured to the direction of the thick jungle with his thumb as he said, "We're more fun than screaming people, and we got snacks. I think you'd like Cheetos."

Owen waited for the delighted chirp at the mention of the cheesy snacks before his heart felt heavy. Charlie wasn't here to steal his Cheetos anymore. He swallowed thickly, but maintained eye contact with the contemplating creature. She shifted on her feet slightly, and Owen winced at seeing shards of glass in her neck; from breaking into the Aviation Paddock.

"I promise no one is going to hurt you anymore, okay? I'll make sure you fit in here if you want. So…what do you say? Want to be part of my Raptor Squad?"

The Indominus carefully looked him over before the crimson eyes thoroughly inspected the three raptors next to him. Owen had to admit he was amazed by her wariness of others despite her lack of interaction with anyone. It was saddening, and yet it made him feel better that she wouldn't blindly follow others; he liked having smart girls in his pack.

Blue gave a small chirp as she suddenly began to nuzzle his hand for the remains of the Oreos, and Owen simply let her have the whole bag. He really didn't know why she hadn't simply tackled him for it. Her joyous clicks at the unfathomable generosity only made him smile, and he finally looked up when the Indominus gave a stern snort. He gave her the eye contact she wanted, and she knocked on the invisible door.

' _Yes.'_


	4. Chapter 4

" _Für_ God Saves the Star-Spangled Queen."

"Don't give me that _shit_ , Echo. It's not like I get six people to clean my own home for me. I hope you know you're spoiled."

The raptor snapped a chirp in response as she nudged the bucket full of crushed, empty beer cans off the small porch. Owen sighed, and shook his head before giving a small smile at the incredibly proud-looking raptor. She had cleared his porch of the mess, and now she had room to drag all his blankets out of his home. Delta was more than willing to assist, and Owen allowed them to make their temporary nest; it wasn't like he used them in this hot, muggy weather.

Owen glanced to the side of him, and felt himself going soft as he watched his best girl gently swing in his hammock. She looked ready to fall asleep, and the slight, rhythmic movements of her tail kept the comfortable bed in motion.

It seems she still remembered the hammock from when she was still a little hatchling. She had always been the fussiest about going to bed, but a few minutes of rare cuddling in the hammock had always worked. Owen had to admit he had been sad when she had grown too aggressive to bring out of her paddock, but maybe now he could spend more time with them instead of just barking orders.

All he needed to see right now was baby Charlie pouncing on Blue, and then the world would be right again.

Owen sighed quietly before turning back to the waiting, white scales. She was carefully observing the small plot of land he called his own, and her large nose gently touched the string of lights hanging above his head; he was glad they provided adequate lighting in this dark night, but the full moon helped.

It was so odd to see her act so gentle, and calm. Even those blazing, crimson eyes had mellowed into an intelligent, quiet, and almost innocent fire. She didn't seem as dangerous at the moment as she continued to softly poke at the string of lights. Owen liked seeing the light's reflection in her eyes as she seemed to ponder. He wasn't sure what she was pondering, but she was clearly thinking.

"Like the lights?"

She gave a sideways glance at him before knocking on the invisible door.

' _Yes.'_

Owen couldn't help his small chuckle as he began to rummage through the unorganized mess of medical supplies piled onto his picnic table. It was everything he owned, and he was sure it wasn't enough to tend to everything on her. He could at least clean all the wounds on her, and maybe bind the most serious cuts.

He was actually amazed that she seemed to have very little wounds that caused him any alarm. He had only seen two slashes that would need stitches, and those weren't even very large. Her burns didn't appear to be very serious considering how close she was to that missile.

"I think I'll clean the wounds before we call it a night. I know the Veterinary Building has a room big enough to wash all this dirt off, and we'll have you good as new by noon tomorrow. That sound good to you?"

She glanced around the small area, her crimson eyes wandering over the snoozing Velociraptors, before turning her gaze back to him. She finally answered, _'Yes.'_

Owen smiled at her before pulling a pair of shiny, silver tweezers from the pile. He showed them to her as he said, "I just want to pull that glass out before we do anything else; it'll hurt, but I don't have any morphine to help. I just really don't want to risk these getting infected."

The crimson eyes glanced at him warily, but he had no intent of lying to her. It probably wasn't going to hurt a lot, but he wanted to forewarn her before pulling all the little bits out. He needed her permission or it could end very badly for him. Her eyes flickered back to the tool in his hand, and he added, "I wouldn't do this if I thought you could wait till morning, but I really want to prevent infections, okay? I need your permission though, and we'll take breaks when it hurts too much. Is that fine with you?"

She continued to hesitate, but Owen refused to push her; he knew he wasn't exactly entitled to do that. He was still just a random stranger to her, he was of little to no value as far as she was concerned. He smiled when she finally curled her left hand, and made the knocking motion.

' _Yes.'_

"Thanks, I'll try to be as quick as I can…"

Owen trailed off before he looked at her, and wondered something. They hadn't done any communicating on the way here; she had simply followed him while he rode his motorcycle, and the raptors alongside him.

He pressed his lips in slight shame for being rude, and she glanced at him curiously before he said, "You know, I never introduced myself, or my girls."

He pointed to the raptor in the hammock as he said, "That's Blue, she's my Beta, and best girl."

The crimson orbs followed his introductions, and they slid over to the mountain of blankets on the porch as he added, "Those two are Echo, and Delta. Echo has the crooked jaw, and she's just as ornery as Blue, but not as good a fighter. Delta is her partner in crime though, and I have to really be on alert when those two go quiet."

The Indominus gave a small puff of air through her nostrils, and Owen found himself smiling at his two girls curled over one another. He loved the way Echo had protectively placed her clawed hand over Delta's back, and how the latter had tucked her nose under a wrinkle in the blanket.

A firm snort pulled Owen from his thoughts, and he realized the white dinosaur was looking at him expectantly. He cleared his throat before sheepishly saying, "Sorry, it's just…seeing my girls safe and warm…it makes me happy."

He only wished Charlie had hidden herself in that pile of blankets.

The Indominus flickered her gaze back to the dozing raptors as she contemplated something. Owen scratched the back of his head before finally saying, "My name is Owen."

She turned her large head to face him, and Owen felt very little next to her. He didn't feel threatened by any means though. She certainly wasn't a gentle giant, but Owen felt like she had the potential to be much more aware of her surrounding compared to the 'Gentle Giants' of Jurassic World. If she didn't want to do harm, then she wouldn't.

Owen liked that.

He twirled the tweezers in his hands before saying, "I know you're limited in how we can talk to each other for now, and we'll fix that as soon as we can, but do you have a name?"

He glanced up at the unreadable expression, and he quietly added, "Like…I don't know, didn't you ever have a keeper name you? You should have had one who made sure your paddock was clean, and your water filled. All the dinosaurs have a name here. Even Rexy, and she's been here for like…forty years."

Owen really wasn't sure why she wasn't responding to him, and he couldn't understand the emotions in her eyes at the moment. It looked clouded, almost offended, and even slightly angry. Was she hurt? Had he unintentionally hurt her?

He knew he had to be tip toeing on a fine line, but he gently asked, "Do you have a name?"

Owen warily watched the massive, scaled lip curl up to further reveal the sharp, ivory daggers, but he didn't move. He slowly slid his gaze back to hers, and she finally raised her left hand. The clawed index and middle finger were raised before closing to meet her thumb, like a mouth closing.

' _No.'_

He glanced back to her before flickering his gaze to the closed hand. She was definitely angry with being nameless; her claws had made a sharp click when smacking against one another. Owen finally cleared his throat before saying, "Well then, we'll give you a name. You're part of my family now, and everyone in my family has a name. Barry and I named all our girls, and we'll get you a name that fits; a perfect name for you, I promise."

Owen had meant that, and he swore he saw gratitude creeping into those crimson eyes. She had finally relaxed into lying down with her forelimbs curled underneath her like a cat. He couldn't believe he was seeing a slight smile either, and Owen felt like he could start with tending to her wounds. He gave the tweezers a small click before saying, "Let's get started then."

The Indominus seemed amused by him, though she continued to critically watch every single move he made. Owen knew what he was doing, this wasn't his first time tending to wounds on a dangerous animal, but her intense gaze made him sweat slightly; like fruitlessly attempting a math test with the teacher hovering.

She didn't seem like a very forgiving creature, and this was a very crucial moment to build their trust on.

The shards of glass came out easier than Owen had thought, and he found himself getting into the swing of things. She remained still as stone, and the plinking of glass was almost rhythmic. He was glad that she had fewer shards than he thought, and he finally pulled back as he sighed, "Alright, glass is gone, and you are the best patient I have ever had. No complaints."

She puffed air at him, and Owen chuckled at his hair blowing back. The white fog surrounding him reeked of bloody meat, but he could tolerate it. Her breath smelled better than Blue's considering the raptor had sweet Oreos to mix with the meat.

He went over to his pile before picking up the large bottle of alcohol, and he gingerly said, "I…this is going to be the worst part, Girly. This is going to hurt like a bitch."

He uncapped the bottle, and wrinkled his nose at the sharp smell before pouring it onto a clean cloth. He offered it to her for inspection, and pressed his lips when her own lip curled at the fumes hitting her sensitive nose. Owen pulled the cloth back as he said, "It's alcohol; it's going to disinfected all those cuts on you. It's going to feel like, I guess a cold burn."

She simply blinked at him in confusion as she tried to make sense of that contradicting description. He finally said, "How about I wipe a small cut so you can get an idea of what I'm talking about, and we'll go from there?"

The Indominus surprised him by looking herself over before extending her massive hand toward him. The clawed index had a small slice on it, he would probably never know where she had received that wound, but he nodded in agreement. He glanced up as he said, "If it hurts too much, don't bite my head off for it…please."

She puffed air at him, and he figured that was all he was going to get out of her. Owen held his breath, and braced when he made a quick, but not rushed, swipe over the cut before bolting back out of her reach.

The Indominus seemed more startled at his sudden moving, and almost amused when she realized why. Owen simply wasn't that kind of a gambler though, and she turned her attention back to the cleaned cut. Her sensitive nose inhaled deeply as she made her analysis of this new experience before finally letting out a massive yawn. Owen flinched slightly when she snapped her jaws shut, and he couldn't help dryly saying, "I bet you have some Mosasaur in you; I've never seen anyone except Lilly snap her jaws like that when she eats the sharks."

She regarded him with a sideways glance, and he couldn't help laughing quietly as he walked back over. Owen poured more alcohol onto the cloth as he said, "Well, alright then, Girly. You're after your own special place in my heart with your toughness."

The snow scaled creature seemed pleased with the compliment, and she relaxed even more as Owen continued to wipe the wounds clean. He truly was amazed by how well she was taking to this treatment, and he would glance at her once in a while to see how she was doing.

She actually looked really tired, and he was grateful she wasn't one to become cranky when being kept awake past her normal routine. Owen was fully aware that Rexy threw ungodly fits if the sound speakers weren't turned off before she turned in for the night.

That mistake was made only once.

Bloody chunks of goat had actually flown into the false log's viewing glass when the speakers had accidently been left on one night. The parents hadn't been too happy about that, but Owen had seen how popular the video had been on YouTube; he was guilty of liking that video as well.

Owen was starting to feel tired by the time he had run out of alcohol, and he cracked his neck before saying, "Alright, Girly, I think you'll be good to go for tonight."

He went back to the table before coming back with large pieces of medical cloth, and added, "I'll do the stitches tomorrow when I have Barry with me; he's good with that stuff. I think you'll like him, he's pretty calm, and quiet. Just let me cover those bigger slashes so the flies don't get in them."

She shivered her jaw as a soft response was made, and Owen smiled at it. It was such a little sound coming from a massive creature. It was almost endearing, especially with how cooperative she was being. Was this even the same creature who had so violently broken out of her paddock only yesterday morning? Owen wasn't even sure anymore, but he really wasn't going to complain.

"You know, I think you'll find yourself a great spot in this world, Girly. You just need a little guidance on how to behave around people, okay?"

Owen took a step back as he admired his doctoring skills, and the Indominus slowly blinked at him. He finally nodded, and said, "Alright, time for bed. Just pick a comfy spot around here…"

He trailed off when she immediately plopped her head onto the ground, chin resting on her hands, and a long breath was exhaled. She seemed to regard him for a moment before her eyes slowly slid shut, and Owen couldn't help chuckling as he went over to the occupied hammock. It was a little too hot to be sleeping in the trailer, and he didn't want to be creaking his porch with two raptors on it.

"Hey, Blue, scoot your butt over."

The golden eyes glared at him, burning into his soul mercilessly for the heinous crime of waking her up, but Owen only snorted at her.

"You don't scare me, Blue. Now, scoot."

He was expecting her to snap her jaws at him, but the Velociraptor seemed to sigh loudly as she rolled over to the side. Owen couldn't help chuckling though it slightly concerned him to see her act so mellow. Maybe she was more tired than he thought.

Regardless he found himself feeling nostalgic as he carefully crawled onto the hammock before gently rocking it. He was surprised the strings didn't snap under the extra weight, and felt himself go soft when the warm raptor allowed herself to slide into his side. He really did miss these nights with his babies.

Owen allowed his gaze to wander to the sleeping Indominus; she was an entire riddle wrapped in a puzzle. He wasn't sure if she was so calm because she was exhausted, or if she simply felt better with having someone to talk to. It really did concern him to see how violent she could be, and she had killed those Apatosaurus without eating them. Why had she gone out of her way to hurt so many creatures? Owen could justify the people; she probably blamed them for her isolation.

Maybe she knew it would cause a lot of trouble for the people if she hurt other dinosaurs. Maybe she really had been trying to figure out her place on the food chain; something in her could have set off, and pushed the human side of her away.

Owen didn't know, and he didn't want to assume anything just yet. She was brand new to him. He looked to the side of him before smiling at the sleeping raptor; he couldn't believe how much Blue had grown. She wasn't his little, Oreo baby, who had put countless holes in his socks anymore. Now, she was a confident Beta and comrade that he could trust to have his back.

Okay, she still was his Oreo baby, but she didn't put holes in his socks anymore.

Owen smiled wider, and finally felt himself sink into the hammock. The island was quiet, but that was only a blessing in itself. He would keep the lights on for his girls just in case they woke up in the night. He checked his watch, and wasn't surprised to see it was around three in the morning; he wondered if Echo would still wake up at five like she always did. She was the rooster of Jurassic World.

He gave a final yawn, with a stretch of his arms, before closing his eyes. He wondered where everyone else was, and if the park would be able to reopen. He wasn't sure, and he wouldn't trouble himself with those thoughts right now.

Because right now, his girls were safe and warm.

* * *

Owen scrunched his nose when something tickled it, and he batted it away before stilling again. The hammock gently swayed, and he found himself drifting off before the buzzing sound came back to land on his dirty nose. Owen batted it away again, but finally cracked open his eyes. He was momentarily confused at seeing how high the sun was, and he wondered why no one had bothered to wake him up.

Owen glanced to the side of him, and frowned when he realized Blue wasn't there. He immediately sat up, and began to work the kinks from his neck as he looked around. The nest of blankets were empty, and Owen startled at hearing a rich laugh nearby.

Owen startled even more at seeing the Indominus lying nearby before he remembered she was his newest girl. Owen ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair, and yawned loudly. He caught sight of his partner in crime, Barry, sitting in front of the Indominus. The man grinned at him before teasing, "So, you finally decide to wake up then?"

Owen chuckled at Barry before he said, "Excuse me for wanting my six hours after running all over the island yesterday."

Barry laughed again, his white teeth contrasting against the dark skin, before he went back to running his fingers soothingly over the white scales of the Indominus. She seemed to love the way her nose was massaged, and Barry only softly cooed, " _You_ are something special, Beautiful. Such a smart girl too, and tough for letting me stitch you up without complaints."

Owen shook his head in amusement before teasing, "Did you kiss her on the nose yet?"

"Of course, how can I not kiss this beautiful face?"

The Indominus shivered her jaw as a low croon was made, and Owen chuckled at her soft purr. Those crimson eyes were filled with adoration as Barry continued to love on her, and gently stroke her large face. Owen finally realized Barry's radio was on, and was currently playing classical music of some sort; he didn't know Barry liked that stuff. He looked around before asking, "So, where are the other girls, Barry?"

The man snorted as he continued to move his hands along the large cheek before answering, "You slept through all the action. Claire wanted all the assets put back into containment as soon as possible. The girls are fine, and sleeping. All I had to do was throw some Cheetos and Oreos into the trailer; they went right in. The only assets not back where they belong are a few from the Aviation Paddock, and this gorgeous girl."

Owen raised an eyebrow before asking, "How are they going to get all those animals back to the paddock?"

"Turns out they had a tracker that gave a shock if they tried to leave the island, and a lot went back when it was time to sleep; it's their nest. Our guys were quick to get them with sleeping gas, and the holes are being repaired."

"…Huh…well, that's convenient."

Barry nodded in agreement, and he looked at Owen before saying, "Claire wanted you to know that the future of this park depends on how you get this girl back to her paddock. If she can argue that there is a way to control her, then the lawyers will back off a little."

Owen slowly slid his gaze to the enamored Indominus as she focused only on Barry, and he finally asked, "Even with the casualties?"

Barry gave a snort, and gently patted the scaled snout before standing. He walked over to his jeep, and rummaged through it before pulling out a thick package of paper. Owen raised an eyebrow at it, and took it as he asked, "What's this?"

Barry sighed before dryly saying, "The Terms and Agreements every guest must agree to before being allowed to purchase tickets."

Barry pulled out another package as he added, "This is what they have to agree to before being allowed on the boat."

Owen felt his jaw drop as he gaped at the two, thick packages of paper. He immediately shook his head before saying, "No way, that's dirty."

Barry pressed his lips as he nodded in agreement before saying, "Jurassic World is only accountable of fatal accidents to a certain extent. There's more leeway on the ride-related accidents, but only fatal accidents related to animals are worth a certain amount of money."

Owen slowly blinked as he tried to comprehend this, and he finally said, "You are not telling me that Jurassic World will get off that easily."

"I am because it is in the contract. If an animal kills a guest, the park pays a certain amount to the surviving heirs. It's right in there, Owen. Hammond knew people never read these long things, and that is this park's saving grace."

"That is dirty horseshit."

Barry shrugged as he tossed the thick packages back into his car. He sighed quietly, and went back to gently stroking the white nose of the Indominus. Owen carefully looked her over before quietly asking, "What about the people she…you know…?"

Barry glanced at him again as he said, "I'll give you three guesses on how the park gets out of that one."

Owen raised his eyebrows high before slowly asking, "All those people signed release forms?"

"They all agreed that they were fully aware of what they were dealing with, and the dangers of the job. They were paid handsomely, and a certain, generous amount would be paid to family in the event of a job-related death."

Owen blinked a few times before finally sitting down next to Barry. He couldn't believe this, and yet he remembered signing his own contract when he had first joined.

He hadn't read it either.

He glanced at Barry, and asked, "So, what now? We repair, and get ready to re-open?"

Barry opened his mouth to reply, but jumped when his radio crackled. The Indominus glared at it dangerously before a voice finally said, "So, I wasn't listening in on your conversation or anything, but Claire actually had a different job for you, Owen."

Owen raised an eyebrow as he glanced at Barry before taking the radio. He pushed the button, and replied, "Who are you again?"

He frowned when the sarcastic reply was, "Oh, just the guy in the control room. You knocked all the dinosaurs off my desk for no good reason. Seriously man, why are you hatin' on my dinos?"

Barry rolled his eyes before saying, "His name is Lowery; he's the only one who stayed behind in the control room when everyone else evacuated. He's all we got for eyes in the park at the moment."

Owen had to admit, he admired Lowery for staying behind, but he really didn't care for the sarcasm. Owen finally replied, "Better the plastic toys than a punch to your nose. What's Claire want? Where is she anyways?"

Owen swore he heard a dry retort being muttered, but Lowery said, "She's making sure the evacuation goes smoothly, and she's getting the board together for an emergency meeting. Claire's kind of acting like the head honcho right now. Anyways, she wants you to focus on making sure this never happens again with the Indominus. Oh and uh, her paddock is almost done being repaired, maybe a couple more hours or so."

Owen nodded in agreement, and he frowned when he realized the music was still playing through the radio.

"What's this shit, Lowery?"

Barry snorted when the tech-geek immediately retorted, "Johann Sebastian Bach's Organ Concerto Number Five in D Minor. I suggest you memorize that _'shit'_ because your newest, most temperamental pack member is a lover of classical music. Beethoven and Bach are now your best friends."

Owen raised his eyebrow higher than he knew possible as he glanced back at the Indominus. The organ resumed with its cheerful play, and her tail began to flick with the beat. She did seem quite happy with the music, and Barry quietly explained, "My car radio had picked the station up, and she just liked it, but I lost the signal; Lowery was nice enough to play it through our walkie-talkies while I gave her the stitches."

He supposed the music was nice, but he was a fan of good old Rock and Roll. He needed to introduce her to Kiss, or Aerosmith.

Def Leopard was a good one too.

Barry gave a knowing smile as he suddenly said, "She doesn't like songs with lyrics, Owen. I already tried that. It seems to irritate her."

Owen couldn't help giving the Indominus a look, and she evenly met it before puffing air through her nose; she didn't care. She liked what she liked, and he could get over it. Barry laughed at her expression before cooing at her again. She immediately melted into the gentle embrace, and Barry lovingly said, "We need to give you a good name that suits you, Beautiful."

Owen leaned back into his picnic table before saying, "Already picked it."

"You are not naming her Foxtrot, Owen."

He blinked at the man, and Barry added, "I know how you pick those names, going down the NATO alphabet. You are not naming her Foxtrot."

"Why not? I have a _thing_ going here, Barry. Foxtrot comes after Delta."

The man rolled his eyes as he continued to stroke the white nose before saying, "She needs a name that fits her, Owen. No code names for her."

The radio suddenly crackled, and Lowery said, "I say name her America."

The duo blinked at the radio, and Lowery added, "I think it fits, and people will love it. Think about it, America was born on the fact that those colonies got tired of Great Britain's shit. The Indominus got tired of our shit, and she reigned hellfire until we yielded. She's pretty 'Merican to me."

Owen gave a look to Barry, and the man dryly said, "Great Britain gave those colonies their freedom because they cost too much money, and they had other wars to focus on. They were tired of the colonies, and Britain certainly wasn't forced into yielding."

The radio was silent, and Owen could feel a smile tugging at his lips when Lowery finally retorted, "No American acknowledges that, okay? Americans are crazy and like explosions. The Indominus likes explosions, she's crazy, and thus is a full blooded American as far as I'm concerned. I don't care if she's never seen American soil, _I will bring some to her_."

Owen rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help his wide smile. Barry shook his head firmly before turning his attention back to the Indominus as he cooed, "No. You are a regal, elegant creature, and you shall have a name that is just that."

The crimson eyes seemed to melt with affection as she gave a grateful chirp at the man. Owen smiled at seeing her relishing the gentle, kind touches, and he had a feeling Barry was now the safest man on the island. Barry continued to run his hands along her chin as he said, "I was actually thinking of Elizabeth. People are going to see you, and think of Queen Elizabeth the First if they hear your name. She was a good queen, and art flourished under her rule. You are beautiful enough to be royalty around here, and that name never goes out of fashion."

Barry flickered his gaze to Owen, and he nodded in agreement. Elizabeth actually was a good name, and he could shorten in into smaller nicknames. It was easy to remember, and the name had goodness to it. Queen Elizabeth had done her name good, and now the Indominus could possibly get the same reaction if she behaved.

Elizabeth it was then, and the Indominus seemed to like it. Owen relaxed as he leaned onto the picnic table once more before the radio suddenly crackled. Barry gave it a sharp look, and Lowery said, "Actually, there is a very infamous serial killer by the name of Elizabeth Báthory, and she reportedly killed over six hundred and fifty women so she could bathe in their blood; she thought it would keep her looking young."

Owen lowered his brows as he glared at the radio, and Lowery somehow felt the burning gazes because he added, "Hey, I'm just trying to help the Indominus. People usually think of Queen Elizabeth the First, but there's going to be those who think of Countess Elizabeth. Just name her America; that name has power to it!"

Barry rolled his eyes before muttering, "And he ruined it because he has a valid point."

He heaved a sigh, but continued to love on the massive rex before him. She didn't seem all that concerned about her name, and Owen figured they had time to make one for her. The content, crimson orbs slowly slid shut as the music became the only sound in the warm air. Her tail would flick with the beat of the various violins, organs, or full out orchestras. She seemed to really like the pieces with deep, slow sounds, and Owen found them soothing as well.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed or how many long orchestra pieces had played before the radio went quiet when the last piece ended. Owen knew that one, Vivaldi's Spring; he had seen ice skaters dance to it before.

Because he was on a date with a very beautiful woman, and had drooled over her most of the night. Granted all he got out of it was a light peck on the cheek, and an empty wallet, but he remembered the music.

The radio soon began to play a tune of only a piano, and Owen knew this song too. He didn't know the name, but it was a short piece that everyone knew. Even younger children would try to play simpler versions of it.

He startled when the Indominus suddenly raised her head, and the crimson orbs lit up with excitement. Barry couldn't help chuckling as he said, "I told you it would come back on, Beautiful."

A loud, happy chirp was made, and Barry chuckled at her. She scooched a little closer to the radio, and Owen found himself smiling at how intently she focused on the song; memorizing all its soothing notes. He looked up when Barry quietly said, "First song she heard on my radio, and she loved it."

Owen nodded in agreement; he knew several people loved this song. It was simple, but original, and easy to memorize. He liked that is was short enough to keep his attention as compared to the ten minute songs. He found himself drumming his fingers to the notes, and he was disappointed to have it end so soon. The Indominus appeared to be as well, but Barry patted her comfortingly as he said, "Do not worry, that song is popular, it will come back."

She flicked her tail at him before leaning her chin into his gentle hands. Owen smiled at her as he asked the radio, "Hey, Lowery, what was that song called?"

There was a brief pause, and the radio crackled, " _That_ is Beethoven's most famous piece, in my opinion, _Für Elise._ It means 'For Elise.' Who is Elise? I have no idea, and neither does Google."

Owen and Barry immediately locked gazes before slowly looking at the Indominus relishing the scratching fingers. Owen slowly said, "Boom. Done. That's her name. Elise."

Barry nodded eagerly as he cooed, "Elise. I like that name. It is elegant and graceful; simple, but it has a certain air to it. People will love it, and if they don't then too bad."

Owen felt a smile growing on his face before he said, "What do you think? Like the name Elise?"

The crimson eyes flickered to him warmly, and she made to move her hand before the radio suddenly crackled. Lowery said, "Actually, Elise is also the name of-"

Owen immediately cut in as he growled, "Lowery, I swear to Christ on his golden throne, if you ruin this name for me, I will shove every, single, plastic dinosaur I find up your ass."

Barry snorted loudly before covering his mouth at the silent radio. Owen dangerously glared into the little radio before Lowery dryly said, "That is weird, Owen, okay? I was going to say Elise is the name of a character in a popular game. She's this French assassin's first love, anyways, people liked her and were really sad when she was killed. I'm still partial to America, but you're the guy who gets to brush the Indominus' teeth. I'll just enter her name into the file, okay?"

Owen looked at the white scaled dinosaur expectantly, and she seemed amused before finally knocking on the invisible door.

_'Yes.'_

Owen grinned widely with Barry before he said to Lowery, "Sounds good. Elise likes her name."


End file.
